How to Connect with your Students

I had a class of high school students, mostly upperclassmen, they were rowdy, discounted, and working on my nerves. I needed to find a way to connect and quickly. I asked them to write 6-word stories responding to how they felt about school.

One boy wrote, “energetic teenage boy, glued to chair,” there were many others along the same line, and I wish I’d saved them. By reading over the 6 words that student carefully selected, I was able to connect with how they were feeling, and overall they were frustrated with their environment. I responded by demonstrating that I understood, and we worked together making adjustments, the remainder of the year was much smoother. From then on, I’ve used 6-word stories in a wide range of ways, never being disappointed with the results.

Want to try? Here’s how
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